Dragon Slayer Forbidden Art: Pulse of Life
by Ryan Roach
Summary: This is a story about Gale Zenora, Fairy Tail's newest mage and their fourth Dragon Slayer. It's my own arc, written in an AU where the seven year skip never happened, its ten years since the dragons disappeared and Gale runs into an old friend at the guild, Wendy. Might have messed up the years but Wendy is 16, Gajeel and Natsu both 22. Rated M for later chapters
1. Chapter 1

" _Listen to me well my precious child. There will come a time in your life when you shall meet that girl named Wendy again and you must help her to achieve her full power. Her mother, Grandeeney, has foreseen a future where you two shall fall in love. When a dragon finds their mate they receive a large boost in power in order to protect one another. Wendy will not be used to it and you must help her to control this new power. My little boy in love, how sweet is that?" My mother, the Pulse Dragon Zepoura, spoke gently to me. Her eyes full of careful affection as she watched me train. Her long and slender body a deep blue color with a smooth feel. Her wings spread out wide to her sides, their long and jagged shape carefully pushing the wind in my direction._

" _Mom, please stop embarrassing me!"_

" _Excuse me ein storr. I am simply happy to know you will have someone took look after you once I am gone. No not like that, pivot on your left foot and jump, not jump then pivot."_

" _Yes Ma'am."_

 **10 years later**

I stepped off of the train and into Magnolia Station, people bustling around me trying to get their bags or wanting to hop on a different rail. I flung my messenger bag around my shoulder and headed for the exit, a small figure following behind me. The street was paved with white cobblestone, merchants trying to persuade people to buy the various items: lacrima crystals, spell books, toasters, anything you could imagine. Houses were packed together wall to wall. Straight ahead of me I could see the top of a castle-like building. I grinned and turned around to my partner, and cat, Dexon. He's been with me ever since he hatched a few years after Zepoura had disappeared and ever since we'd become inseparable. He'd learned some Take-Over magic in the past year but still wasn't that good, at all. He'd tried to turn to into a dog once and ended up a parakeet.

"Is that the place you were telling me about? That's Fairy Tail right?" I asked excitedly. He ruffled his bright green fur and climbed up on my head to get a better view.

"That looks like the place the old man told me about. He said when we got there to ask for Mira. S'posed to help with you getting in. You really going through with this Gale?" I stepped in front of a shop window and checked my clothes really quick to make sure I didn't look too bad. My midnight blue trench coat hung around my feet , the white shirt I was wearing underneath only serving to further accentuate the color. Around my neck was a bandana tied bandit style with hexagons stitched into it, the whole thing an electric blue color, it was modeled after my mom's scales. I wore loose black pants along with that, two belts making an X over my waist. I ruffled the spiky grey hair and smiled.

"All good! Let's get going!" I pivoted on my heel and began fast walking to Fairy Tail, Dexon unfurling a set of angel-like wings and flying to keep up with me. The street passed by in a blur and soon I was standing at the large wooden doors, opened enough to allow entry. I peeked in for a moment and was smiling before I knew what to say.

Everyone inside was partying and having a great time! There were two old dudes sitting at a table drinking and laughing their asses off at some joke, a guy in black talking to some bluenette about a book, and a big guy in the back kept yelling "YOU GOTTA BE A REAL MAN!" This place is awesome! I walked over to the bar and set my bag on the ground before flopping down on of the stools, Dexon deciding to just stand on the counter.

"Excuse me ma'am" I said to the woman standing behind the bar. She turned to me and smiled, a thick wave of white hair flowing with the sudden movement. She seemed nice enough but she gave me an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"Oh, you must be the new members the Master told me about! Sorry, I should introduce myself. My name is Mirajane!" she reached out and I shook her hand quickly. "Let me just go find him really quick." She left the bar and walked past everyone before turning down a hall out of view.

"Hey Dexon, how'd ya meet this guy again?" I asked him. He beamed at me and laughed.

"Let's just say I never had a better drinking buddy until I met him."

"You and yer damn booze. Need a grip on that doncha?"

"No way! I can control my drinking, honest! If I couldn't I'd look like her." He pointed to a woman a few seats away from me who was slumped against the counter, totally passed out.

"Guess ya got a point." I saw Mira lean around the corner and gesture for us to meet her. "Come on" I grabbed my bag and walked over to her, then proceeded to follow her down the hall to an open door, the Fairy Tail emblem carved into the wood at about eye level. Inside a short old man with white hair sat cross legged on top of a oak desk that was scattered with papers. His eyes were closed and he had a concentrated look on his face. Once we had entered Mira left and closed the door behind her, giving us a thumbs up sign.

"So you're the young man Dexon was talking up so much, I can say this much at least you have a formidable air about you, he wasn't lying" the old man stood up and grinned, holding a hand up in greeting. "My name is Makarov, I'm the Master of Fairy Tail. Nice to meetcha!"

"Maky old boy!" Dexon jumped up on the desk and shook the Master's hand. "You never told me you ran this joint!"

"I didn't want to make a scene in that bar, if Mira had known I was there she would've…" A chill visibly ran down his spine and I instantly became slightly more terrified of the girl.

"Master Makarov sir."

"Yes!? Oh, sorry about that. Please, continue."

"I want to join your guild" my voice took on a formal tone. "Please, I've never found one where I fit in right but I feel like this place suits me really well. Everyone is so upbeat and happy, it feels like you're all just one big family and I'd really like to be a part of that."

"I have one question for you first of all." I nodded. "Have you ever met any other Dragon Slayers?"

""H-how did ya know I'm a Dragon Slayer?" I was taken aback by his question. Did Dexon tell him? Usually he's pretty tight lipped while drunk though.

"I didn't get to my place in the Wizard Saints by being incompetent my boy, I learned many things along the way. One of the bigger ones being able to recognize those eyes, fierce and powerful just like a dragon's." My pride swelled a little at that comment.

"To answer your question yes, I have met one other but that was before they all disappeared 10 years ago. Our mother's were old friends and thought we needed a little human interaction. I can't remember her name now though." He stared me in the eyes, not letting my gaze drop.

"Good, you didn't lie. Welcome to Fairy Tail!" I could feel my eyebrows raise a little at this. Is he for real?

"That's all it takes?" He nodded and jumped off of his desk, opening the door and walking out into the hall. I looked at Dexon and he shrugged, we started to follow him.

"One thing you should know about us is that we have four other Dragon Slayers, three of them being raised by dragons just like you. I wish we had more time to talk but I have a lot of apology letters to write to the council. Ah, there's Mirajane. Go talk to her about getting your guild mark, welcome to our family Gale." I bowed to him in thanks. As he walked away I smiled and looked down at my best friend.

"Hey Dexon. We made it" he grinned back and chuckled.

"Damn right we did! Let's go get set up!" We walked over to Mirajane like the Master had told us and she clapped congratulations for our getting into Fairy Tail. She ducked under the counter and a few seconds later she brought out a magic stamper.

"Where do you want the guild mark and in what color?" She asked. "Please don't put it anywhere too embarrassing. You have to show it to anyone who wants to know what guild you're with." I pulled the neck of my shirt lower.

"Put it on my collarbone, same color as the bandana." She nodded and pushed the metal plate into my skin, there was a quick burning feeling and then she pulled back and the Fairy Tail guild mark sat on my skin. She then stamped Dexon on his back with a black mark.

"It's official now!" she smiled at us and we high-fived each of the members who were nearby and heard us clapped and shouted welcomes. A thought passed my mind and I turned back to her.

"Makarov said there were other Dragon Slayers in the guild. Would you mind pointing one out to me?" a hand went to her chin for a moment.

"Well, Natsu and Laxus are both out on missions right now. There's Gajeel but he'll probably just want to fight you and see how tough you are. That leaves Wendy I guess" something itched at my mind when I heard that name. Where had I heard it before? "She should be over there with Gray, the naked guy. Gray! Your clothes!" she shouted across the room.

"Oh God dammit!" he yelled. I smirked and put my hands in my pockets as I started to walk over to where I had heard him.

 **Wendy's POV**

Gray was running around frantically trying to find his clothes, everybody laughing at his stripping habit. I felt Carla sighed in my arms at his behaviour and I laughed, causing her to look up at me and smile.

"They never do change do they?" she asked me. I shook my head and beamed at the guild mates around me. I heard heavy footsteps coming my way and a familiar scent breezed past my nose. I was filled with a sense of comfort and turned to see who was coming my way.

"G-Gale?!" my jaw dropped at the sight of the gray haired man in front of me. His eyes still had those black markings under them. Walking next to him was an Exceed with exquisite green fur. He stopped dead and pointed at me.

"Wait a minute...Now I remember you! Wendy?" I nodded slowly and felt a paw brush my leg.

"Wendy? Do you know him?" Carla asked me. I smiled and ran forward, tackling him into a hug and laughing. His arms circled around me and held me tightly for a minute before letting go.

"This is an old friend of mine from before Grandeeney left. Carla, this is Gale Zenora. Gale, this is my friend Carla." He still looked a little star-struck but shook his head and held up a hand.

"Yo. This is my partner Dexon." He gestured down to the cat standing next to him. He had a small axe strapped to his back and a small pair of cloth pants on. He walked forward and grabbed Carla's hand, kissing it gently.

"M'lady" Carla visibly blushed and I heard Gale groan next to me. Dexon turned back to me and bowed. "It's nice to meetcha as well Wendy."

"Oh drop the gentleman act Dexon. We both know you ain't like that" Dexon glared up at him and Gale laughed. "We gotta catch up Wendy! it's been way too long! How old are you now?"

"I turned 16 about two months ago" I answered a little sheepishly. "What about you?"

"'Bout to turn 16 myself! Little nervous about it actually from what Zepoura told me would start happening." I knew what he was talking about, Grandeeney had said the same thing to me. Dragons are fiercely possessive creatures and when they turn a certain age they start wanting to find someone to settle down with, basically it meant starting to feel a kind of love other than loyalty. For Dragon Slayers this starts at 16, the equivalent of a 200 year old dragon. So far I wasn't bothered by it because there wasn't really anyone around here I could see myself falling in love with.

"Let's go sit down and talk for a bit huh? I'd love to get to know the two of you better over a pint or five" Dexon chimed in. Gale beamed and gestured for us to lead the way.

"Oh, such a gentleman" I teased him. He frowned slightly and I giggled. He's like a kid still! I sat down at a table nearby so we could steer away from Gajeel, God knows what he'd do to Gale if he found out he was a Dragon Slayer. The two boys sat across from me and Carla took the end seat next on my left. "So, what have you been doing for the past ten years?"

"Well, mainly running around and taking jobs from villages when we needed the cash. Lots of driving out monsters or dark guilds, none of them very strong. I met this guy Romeo from here while out on a job one time and he was pretty cool, more of a hit and run kind of guy than a hit 'em straight on like I do. Good guy. I've checked up on just about every rumor I could hear about the dragons but so far the closest I've gotten was a guy who used illusion magic to scare some villagers away. I met Dexon and we've been traveling around as much as possible. What about you?"

"Oh. Well nothing much. I competed in the grand magic games and tied in my fight. I've met a lot of Dragon Slayers though which is really cool! I now know seven others besides myself. Of course, one of them is a criminal." He raised an eyebrow and leaned back, looking at the ceiling.

"Cobra right? He's part of the dark guild Oracion Seis." Wait, what was that reaction for? Dexon sighed and turned to the bar,holding up his finger to signal Mirajane to bring him a drink. I could see anger blazing behind Gale's eyes.

 **Gale's POV**

Cobra, that guy has been on my mind for years. I hear a lot of things about Dragon Slayers being evil but in my experience all of their actions could be justified, except for him. He gives us all a horrific name, wouldn't mind giving him an ass kicking for it either.

"You okay Gale?" Wendy asked, her head tilted to the right, her eyes studying my face. Wow, they're a really pretty brown. We stared at each other for a few seconds before Carla cleared her throat and I looked away quickly, feeling my ears start to burn. Stupid ears! You're supposed to be on my side not giving me away like a beacon!

"Y-yeah, I'm okay. Sorry 'bout that, so how's the guild life treated you since you joined up?"

"It's great! Everyone here is really nice and even though they fight a lot when it comes down to it all of us are a big family. Most of us never had parents around when we were growing up which makes it really nice." She looked out around the guild and a warm smile danced across her lips. "And now you're a part of that family too right?" I lowered the collar of my shirt and showed her the guild mark.

"Damn straight! Officially a Fairy Tail mage! Right Dexon?" He crossed his arms, nodding in response..

"That's right! We need to find a place to stay though, the best we've found is this one cave outside of town. We just need a place for a few nights because by then we should be able to get an apartment somewhere in town. That is if we can find any good jobs."

"Yeah but who're we going to stay with? I don't know anybody in Magnolia" I sighed and scratched the back of my head.

"Oi! You over there! Did I jus' hear that ya need a place to snooze?" the voice was gruff and deep, a growl edging behind it. Thundering over was a man with short and spiky black hair, a zigzag black and grey bandana tied around his forehead. He wore a black leather trench coat and metal cuffs around his wrists. His face was also pierced on the bridge of his nose, eyebrows, and twice more under his bottom lip.

"Yeah. You know somewhere we can find? Name's Gale by the way." I looked over at Wendy for a moment and felt my heart race, she looked terrified. Just who was this guy?

"I'm Gajeel. Got an extra bed in my house if ya need it. Hold on...Is that an Exceed?" He pointed at Dexon with a raised brow.

"So what if I am huh? You prejudice against talking cats bud?" Dexon was visibly agitated now. We don't have good experience with people questioning why my cat can speak with them. Gajeel flashed a fanged grin, excitement now etched into his sharp features.

"Yer a Dragon Slayer aren't ya?" The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. "I can smell yer fear kid. Don't worry I ain't gonna hurt ya kind are ya huh? Got me all curious now."

"Pulse Dragon Slayer" He looked completely disgusted.

"You gotta eat someone's pulse? That's pretty dark."

"No no, not like that kind of pulse. Um...here, like this kind." Standing up quickly I threw a coin in the air. As it spun down I pulled my fist back and punched right when it was in front of me. Once the coin connected with my fingers a small shockwave of energy flashed and the coin shot across the room and got stuck in the wall. "I eat the pulses of energy that come from spells. Plus the stuff you naturally let off. Basically I eat the scrap magic in the air." Wendy got up and stood between us with her arms out.

"Gajeel please he just got here and I've known him since I was really little so please don't fight him!" Wendy stood up and grabbed his arm. "I mean it! I don't want you to hurt him!"

"Fine Kid I ain't gonna fight the newbie! I wouldn't hurt him anyhow, he's strong. Can't you feel it? He's like the Salamander" she looked at me, her head tilted again then looked back at Gajeel. So he can sense power too huh? I gave him the same fanged grin he had shown me earlier.

"I can't feel anything out of the ordinary" she sighed. Wendy put a hand on her hip, glaring at him. "If he stays at your place you promise you won't do anything?"

"I promise with all my heart Kid" he mocked, tracing an X over his chest. "I got one condition though, he's gotta show me his breath attack. Gotta test his scales an' all."

"That's ridiculous! You just said he's strong yourself!" Wendy protested.I took off my trench coat and untied the bandana from my neck, handing it to Wendy.

"I'll show you, just make sure to use your bandana to cover your nose and mouth. I stir up a lot of dust when I do this. Wendy, you go ahead and use mine, just make sure to give it back, kay?" I smiled and got her to blush a bright scarlet color.

"S-sure."

"Dexon, watch my stuff for a minute okay?" He nodded and shooed me away with one paw. I strided past all of my new guild mates, headed for the humongous doorway that would take me outside. Once out I felt the cool ocean breeze bite at my skin, I began running straight for the forest. The footsteps of Wendy and Gajeel echoed behind me, one set light and barely there, seeming to almost float while the other shook the ground with loud clunks. The edge of town was right ahead of me. Time to show off! " **Pulse Dragon: Sprint"**

I felt the magic energy run down through my legs and shoot out in quick, powerful bursts from my feet. Instantly my speed tripled and I was leaving the other two in my dust. I jumped onto the wall and pounced back and forth between them until I was running along the rooftops. " **Pulse Dragon: Soaring Step"** I took the next step and rocketed into the air in front of me, rocketing forward like a bullet out of the chamber.

"Woohoo!" I screamed. This is it, the rush I live for! "Gajeel, Wendy! Try to keep up you two!" Their faces were beaded with sweat from trying to match my pace but I was beginning to slow down, as the forest was quickly coming into view.

'You damn punk! Wait up!" Gajeel roared at me. Wendy laughed and I saw a globe of green energy surround her and Gajeel, they were soaring next to me now. I stomped down on the grass and started sprinting deeper into the forest, making sure I was away from the town first, then abruptly stopping. Wendy plumped Gajeel down a few feet back and she landed next to me, smiling.

"This is far enough" I said, breathing heavily. Adrenaline rushed through my veins and I looked at them both with a sharp fanged grin. "You ready?"

"Um, can you help me with tying it on?" Wendy held out her hand, the bandana lying there gingerly. I felt my ears heat up and I nodded. Damn woman, why am I so shy? She moved her hair and I tied it around her, making sure it wasn't too tight. She turned back to look at me "Thanks!" She pulled it up over her nose and mouth, I nodded lightly.

"You two done flirting' so we can get started?" Gajeel teased, his hands in his pocket. "Gihi, guess I got no room to talk when yer gonna have to get used to me and the shrimp doin' the same thing."

"W-we weren't flirting!" Wendy screeched.

"Let's get started!" I closed my eyes and concentrated on the magic in the air around me, then began to inhale deeply. I could feel energy flowing to every individual muscle in my body. I leaned back farther and farther for every second I continued to draw in the power around me, then snapped forward quickly and smiled. " **Pulse Dragon: ROAR!"**

 **Wendy's POV**

I felt the air pressure drop around me and everything got chill. Then Gale let his breath attack loose. At first it was a huge wave of energy, then it focused down into a beam of pale blue light. It took apart anything standing in its way, clearing trees even four feet away from the actual beam. The sound hit me a second later. It was like a sonic boom, vibrating the ground beneath me and causing the trees to sway as if hit by a huge gust of wind. Which, I guess they were. The dirt from around us was stirred up around into the air. After a few minutes it had cleared, I looked over at Gajeel. His eyes were wide with shock.

"I-I knew he'd be strong...b-but that was on par with my Shadow Iron Dragon mode, and he made it look friggin' easy! This kid rocks!" He untied the bandana and his smile was huge! Gale's back was still facing us, then he turned around and looked at Gajeel in the eye, an action very few people were too scared to even try.

"Whaddya say boss? Did I make it?" Gajeel stared back at him, and nodded.

"I don't mind having that kind of power backing me up. One more condition to crashin' with me. Gotta join up with me and Levy on missions until you get yer own place. She can't handle the crazy stuff like I do."

"Sounds good to me! Now, let's go get our grub on! I ain't eaten anything in at least a week, not a lot of people willing to give food to a random guy anymore and I'm broke. Dexon has a drinking problem and it drains me dry." I smiled, picturing the green cat stumbling around in a drunken stupor. Gale walked over and offered me his arm.

"M'lady, if you would allow me to accommodate you back to the guild" he teased. I wrapped myself around his arm quickly.

"Thank you my Lord, you're too kind" I smiled and we started walking along our way, Gajeel running ahead saying he had to find Levy before she started to spread rumors about him again. It was totally silent, people starting to go into their homes for the night, as the sun was starting to set, the orange and pink colors melting into one another against the sky. I liked the quiet though, it wasn't awkward at all but more comforting, I felt totally safe. Resting my head on his arm I closed my eyes, relaxing a little more than I usually do. This was I've wanted for so long, to feel safe and comfortable, like I could be myself and not fear being criticized.

"Hey Wendy" Gale spoke up, his voice deep and resonant in his throat. It made his whole body vibrate lightly.

"Yeah?"

"Do you remember what Grandeeney told us the last time we spoke?"

"Mmm, not really. Why do you ask?"

"No reason, just wondering. Looks like we're almost to the guild hall, wish we could just keep walking around like this though. The air is nice and cool, and there's other reasons too." I pulled myself tighter to his arm.

"I wonder that could be?"

"I have no clue" He leaned his head on top of mine and spoke softly. "Glad I got to see you again _litte einn_ " He remembered my nickname! Zepoura used to call me that when we would see each other!

"I'm happy I got the chance to meet you too _ein stor_!" For the next few hours we walked around, my silent prayer that Carla wouldn't coming looking for us apparently paid off! It was the perfect night, we got caught up and everything was perfect! Did I just say perfect too much? But it was!


	2. Chapter 2

"Oi! Wake up kid! Gotta get headed to the guild soon! Wake up dammit!" A large hand on my shoulder with a vice like grip shook my entire body violently, waking me up. I quickly sat up and looked around myself. Where am I? Oh yeah, Gajeel's house. The large dark haired man stood over my bed and smacked my face to help me wake up. "We're leavin' in 'bout twenty minutes. Levy has breakfast waitin' for ya in the kitchen."

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Thanks Gajeel. I'll be out in a few, Dexon still drunk on the couch?" Last night we'd gotten to talking about different opponents we'd faced in the past. Gotta say these guys are pretty tough to have beaten Grimoire Heart and come back without any repercussions other than a few broken bones. Anyhow, Dexon had started drinking and passed out totally shitfaced about midnight. No way was I sleeping in the same room as someone who smelled that strongly of booze.

"Nah, Lily already woke him up an' got him to eat some kiwi to calm that monster of a stomach. Get dressed!" at that Gajeel turned around and walked out of the small room, slamming the door behind him. The room I was staying was big enough for you take about 2 steps in, a dresser next to the door and a cot on the opposite wall, there was a nightstand at the foot of the cot which Gajeel had made himself out of Iron, which matched the grey paint and black carpet well.

I stood up and started to slip on my shirt, as I had slept in my jeans alone. Then, tied my bandana around my neck and laced my boots up. Walking out into the living room, the smell of bacon and eggs caught my nose like it was actually calling my name. _Gaaalllee, Gaaallleee._ I was only a little starving.

The room was very interesting decorations wise. Gajeel, in all his might, had been able to keep the black carpet as well as the leather and chrome furniture when Levy had moved in but that was about it. The walls had several pictures of the two hung up and had been painted a sky blue color. Bookshelves rose floor to ceiling everywhere and each and every single one was packed to the brim with books, each shelf having a genre of its own. You could tell the horror area was where Gajeel read from because the whole thing was littered with little bits of Iron he'd been munching on.

I stepped into the kitchen and took a deep breath, the salty and sweet smell of breakfast encasing my senses. The floor was made of black and white tile, like an old diner. The iron furniture continued into this room, and on top of the reflective metal surface I assumed was their table sat a large plate of bacon, eggs, and a piece of toast. Levy stood at the sink, washing the dishes thoroughly. She turned around for a second and smiled brightly, the large scar on the side of her face demonstrating that the little woman in front of me had seen some much darker times. I nodded my thanks and sat down, beginning to wolf down the meal. I could hear the other three males in the house talking in the living room, Lily and Dexon discussing their transformations. Sadly, I finished eating quickly and took Levy the plate.

"Thanks for the food, It was really good."

"Don't worry about it, you're gonna be staying with us for now and I wanted to welcome you here. Go on ahead with the boys, I'll finish cleaning up and meet you all at the guild." I nodded and walked into the living room, where Gajeel was laughing his ass off at the two Exceeds. Lily was poised to fight, a small sword held tightly in his little paws, Dexon wielding his axe in his right hand, his left reaching out in front of him.

"Don't you dare insult me in such a barbaric way! I'll throw you into the very pits of hell for this!" Lily roared.

"All I did was say that kiwi isn't that good! Dude what is your deal?!" Dexon looked a little afraid, his tail hairs all standing on end. Gajeel was laughing even harder now, his tongue pointing straight out of his mouth as tears crawled out his eyes. I stepped in between the two with my hands held out to the sides.

"What the hell is going on here?!" I demanded, a growl rumbling just beneath my voice.

"This vulgar beast insulted kiwi! That fruit was deemed the fruit of the Gods you sack of crap!" Lily yelled. I snarled at him, baring my large canines. He took a step back quickly and I could see a little fear in his eyes.

"He gave me some kiwi to eat to help my stomach, which it did. All I said was that the skin was gross to eat 'cause it felt like a squirrel crawled down my throat. That was it Gale I swear!" I put my arms down and sighed.

"Okay, Dexon I know ya talk all the time like that but that was too far for someone we just met. Come on man, really?" He hung his head a little and put his axe back on his back. "Whaddya say?"

"I'm sorry" He mumbled. Lily put his sword away and nodded in acceptance. I walked over to the door and yanked my jacket off of the hook it dangled from, slipping it on quickly. "Where are you going Gale?"

"Headed to the guild, I wanna find a good job soon so we can get some money for an apartment. I'm sure before long these guys'll get tired of us messin' up their day" Gajeel stood up and strutted over, clapping a hand on my shoulder.

"Don' worry about it none kid. I know what it's like to live on the streets, ain't pretty. Stay until ya can stand like a man." He threw on an extremely dark brown duster and called over his shoulder. "See ya later Shrimp!"

"Stop calling me that!" He chuckled at Levy's response and opened the door, leaving it open for us to follow him. Our little group caused the crowd to part as we walked down the cobblestone path to the guild hall. The morning sun was nice and warm, heating up my back while the morning air chilled the rest of me. The sky was brilliantly blue and totally clear of any clouds, huge flocks of birds flew by overhead. We passed a bakery and the smell of fresh baked bread rushed past on a gust of wind. I looked ahead at the guildhall, its pale stone walls were blindingly bright as the sun reflected off of them. It was astounding.

We finally approached the large doors to the guild, walking into the sound of people already pumped with energy. Smiling to myself, I walked over to the job board and saw that it had been updated from yesterday, a few new jobs dangling from it precariously. I skimmed them quickly with a hand in my hair, Dexon at my heels.

"Kill a river monster, 1,000 jewel. Nah, I don't get along with water. Work special effects for a play, 1,500 jewel. No thanks bud. Hmm...this one's interesting." I pulled a flier off and read it over.

 _ **WANTED: 2-4 wizards**_

 _Location: Jade Mountain Range_

 _Job description: Any who take part in this job will be on a crew to help clear rubble from a mountain passage that has been blocked for a year. Any and all help is welcome. (Note: It is preferable to bring a healing mage with you, as the work is dangerous)_

 _ **REWARD: 50,000 Jewel**_

"Hey Dexon, take a look at this one." I handed it to him and he put a hand on his chin in consideration.

"The pay is good, and the job shouldn't be too hard. If it's just you and me we can keep the whole pot to ourselves but I saw the Jade Mountains right after I hatched, they're steep and really gravely in some spots. We really should bring a healer." We both quickly observed the Guild, not seeing anyone who looked like they knew healing magic. We hadn't been here for even a day yet so asking people to go out on a job with us was probably a bad idea. I heard the floor behind me creak and I turned around to find Wendy standing there, looking as if she'd planned on scaring me.

"Wendy?" my head tilted in curiosity and she snapped into a more normal posture, looking out of the top right corner of her eye. I smiled and shook my head. "Trying to scare me?"

"Shh! I thought it might work okay? You used to be all jumpy when we were kids and I was trying to see if you still were, that's all." She gave me puppy dog eyes and in a pouty voice said "I promise I won't do it again _ein stor."_ I smiled at my nickname, feeling my chest burn bright with with pride. I reached out and ruffled the dark blue locks of hair and smiled at her.

"'S all good _litte ein._ Hey, you're a healer right?"

"Well, kinda. I can do more than just heal, enchantments are my best area in magic. Why do you ask?"

"Y'see, we found this job to clear some mountain roads but it said to bring a healer cause the area is dangerous. Wanna join up?" I handed her the flier and she read it quickly looking back up at us. "O' course we'd split the pay evenly." She nodded and shouted over her shoulder at Carla.

"Carla! Gale invited me out on a job with him! It seems like it might take a few days! Mind staying here to tell Natsu when he gets back? He wanted to go see you know who."

"Leave it to me! Gale, you should tell Gajeel where you're going too!" She called back. I nodded and waved my hand high in the air, getting Gajeel's attention across the room. He jutted out his chin as if to say "what's up?" I held up the poster and pointed at the door, he nodded quickly and I looked back at Wendy.

"Seems like it's all sorted out now don't it?" I smiled and threw my arms behind my head.

"Close to it anyway, we need to pack and find out when the next train leaves." I felt the color drain out of my face at the mention of a train. Wendy took notice and waved a hand in front of my face. "You okay?"

"Yeah! Just...not a big fan of trains...or wagons, boats, and those magic cars" I felt all my manliness seeping out of my body when she giggled at hearing me say that.

"Don't worry about it, we figured out that pretty much all Dragon Slayers get motion sickness, even Gajeel. I have a spell to help you out with that!" My heart lifted and I grabbed her hand quickly.

"Thanks a ton Wendy! You're a lifesaver!" Her face went bright red and she looked at the hand I had grasped between my own. My ears got hot and I let her hand go just as fast as I'd taken it. "So anyway, packing right?" Wendy nodded sheepishly and I saw Dexon below me trying hard not to laugh. "Whaddya laughin' at ya damn cat?"

"Nothin' Gale, nothin' at all! Go ahead and take Wendy to her place, all we got is still in a bag at Gajeel's and I can grab that pretty quick if I fly."

"Alright. Don't pack any extra booze, we already have a whole bottle of whisky in there for you" I added as his wings unfurled from his back. He leaped up and hovered there for a second, giving me a two-finger salute before zipping out the door. I turned back to Wendy and offered her my arm. "Ready to go?"

"Of course!" she wrapped around my arm and we walked out of the door.

 **WENDY'S POV**

Gale's arm radiated heat into my smaller body as we walked, and a wave of happiness rolled over me. His ears were all red tipped! The streets were full with people trying to get their errands done early, one man down the street was swearing about the awful deal he was getting for a sword.

"This place always so...alive?' Gale asked, an eyebrow raised. His nose kept twitching as he sniffed the air. I could understand, Mrs. Eizen just opened her candy shop and the bakery was running full steam, the air was sweet and light,filling your lungs with each deep breath. "I don't mind it too much but some of these people look like swindlers."

"Some of them are, it's like this anywhere you go around here lately though. The next few towns over are dealing with it too. It'll clear up soon enough, we normally don't get worried about Magnolia until they file a job with us, until then they can handle themselves pretty well."

"Ah, now I'm starting to get a better feel for how you guys work. Gotta say I like it. You're like a guardian, if anyone messes with Magnolia the Guild backs them up in a heartbeat. It's like everyone here is just one huge family." a hand went up to his bandana and began to rub the silky fabric and he was silent for a moment. "Been a long time since I had a family" Gale's eyes seemed to look a thousand miles away, as though he was remembering something.

"Gale, hello?" I waved my hand in his face and he shook himself awake, then turned back to me.

"Sorry! All good now! I forgot to ask earlier but...where are we even going?" He looked over at me and my heart skipped a beat, our faces were barely even an inch apart because I'd leaned into his arm and wow his eyes are pretty, they seemed almost black most of the time but the sunlight had turned them into a rich red color, they were so deep I felt like I could fall in.

If he noticed he sure didn't show it, because he gave me a puzzled look. I turned my head forward and let go of his arm, beginning to walk a few steps ahead. We rounded a corner and I gestured to a large brick building that sat on top of a hill. The curtains were all pink and an orange fairy tail banner hung out front.

"Up there! That's the Fairy Tail girl's dorm. It's a really nice place. They've even got a hot spring! The only problem is it's really expensive, I've had Makarov hold my rent back for two months now, and he's getting a bit impatient. That's why I'm really glad I can help with the job!"

"How come I ain't heard of the boys dorm?" Gale's head was tilted to the side with an eyebrow slightly raised. I could feel a chill run down my spine at the memory.

"I'll just tell you this much, Gray is an Ice wizard and Natsu is a Fire Dragon Slayer. Putting those two in the same building for more than a week is asking for trouble." He nodded in understanding and I turned to the dorm. The main doors were solid oak with small stained glass windows in the center of both depicting Mavis, Fairy Tail's first master. I opened them and peeked my head in silently, making sure nobody was indecent before letting a man inside. Just like I thought, the halls were silent except for the cries of pets in different rooms. I nodded my head and led the way inside, my hands behind my back as I stepped lightly on the limestone tile. The walls were made from a thick dark wood, the supports holding the roof overhead with same structure a mineshaft would use, and small lights were hanging off the walls to light the long hallway.

Gale followed behind me, looking intently at the different doors to rooms, all of them suited to their owner in one way or another, all had their names painted above it. Erza's just had a very large slash through it from when she had gotten angry at her book, Cana's was dented all over from her trying to get in while drunk, and Lisanna's had scratch marks all along it, a hazard from her animal soul take overs. At the end of the hall we turned right and followed and set of stairs up to the second floor. My room was the first one on the right, and compared to the others it was still pretty, the wood stain looked almost new.

"This is it" I told Gale, who was staring at the door across from mine. It was Laki's room and being a wood-make Wizard of course it was absolutely beautiful, carved into the lower half was a depiction of Magnolia, flying over the town was Igneel and the other dragons. "Hey Gale, are you okay?" I leaned around his body and put a hand on his arm, trying to look at his eyes.

"How does she know what they look like?" he asked, still staring at the door with wide eyes.

"Four years ago they were the ones that destroyed the Face bombs, Grandeeney said that they'd been living inside of us to create anti-bodies that would stop us from turning into dragons like Acnologia did. Everyone in Fiore saw them, how did you not feel their power?"

"I was training with the battle mages in Alakitasia. I didn' even get back to Ishgar, let alone Fiore, until a couple o' months ago." He put a hand to his bandana and gripped it tightly. "I know Zepoura ain't in here though," his voice was monotone and quiet, the longing look in his eyes obvious and bleak. Suddenly, he raised his hand and smacked himself so hard I could hear it echo through the hall, then started to shake his head violently. When he stopped, he looked at me with the same smile on his face as before. "I ain't need to be thinkin' 'bout things like that anymore, come on, I wanna see yer place."

"U-uh...Right!" _If he doesn't want to talk about it I won't make him. I'm sure he'll tell me at some point._ Opening the door I stepped into the large apartment. It opened into the living room, and to my right was the hallway that lead the bathroom and my bedroom. The kitchen was hidden just around the left side of the door, forming an L shape with the living room. The carpet was brown, black and white, it felt soft like animal fur. I had a couch set against the wall closest to me and across from it was my lacrima vision, currently tuned onto the news, between them was a light coffee table made of balsa wood. In the corner was a desk piled with books and drawings. The kitchen had white linoleum tile and an island with a oven in the bottom of it, the wraparound counters were polished granite and the cabinets were made of oak.

"Woah…" Gale looked absolutely amazed, his eyes wide as he studied the counter carefully. "With a kitchen like this you must cook all the time!" my face went pale and a chill ran down my spine.

"N-not really, I'm an awful chef. It's just one of those things I've never been able to get a hang on" I muttered, feeling extremely embarrassed. He smiled and looked over at me.

"In that case you're in luck. I may not be the best cook in the whole world and definitely not as good as Gajeel from what Levy told me but I'm pretty damn good. My potato soup is as good as a royal chef's guaranteed." He put a hand on his hip and held his chin slightly higher, clearly wanting to let his ego show.

"Oh really now?" _Time to tease him a little!_ I walked over to him slowly, getting within mere inches of him, then began to trace his peck with one of my nails lightly. I smiled when I saw the chills run down his spine, then looked up into his eyes. "Maybe you can make it for me sometime?"

"I-I...U-u-uh, um… I uh…" his jaw dropped and the tips of ears looked like they might actually catch fire, "Y-yeah, s-sounds good." I grinned and backed up, holding my hands behind my back.

"Thanks Gale!"

 **GALE'S POV**

I can't be the only one who finds that slightly unfair right? I mean, come on! If she does that again and tells me to jump off of a cliff I might actually do it! She got dangerously beautiful since we were kids. Not only is she just a few inches shorter than me but she also has these amazing eyes and her figure is like...wow...I don't even know what to say right now. She read me like an open book!

Wendy vanished down the hallway into her room to pack her bag, while she did that I scoured through her cupboards to see what I might be able to cook with when we got back. And...well the good news is she's not running out of sweets anytime soon. I've never seen so many frosted animal crackers in my entire life! After about fifteen minutes of standing there and feeling very awkward she popped back out of the room with a bag slung across her shoulders, it had little green animal paws painted all over the white canvas. She smiled lightly at me and I returned it.

"Ready to go?"

"Whenever you are!" I smiled at her excitement then looked up at the clock, and my jaw dropped once again but for a different reason.

"Dexon is gonna kill me" the blood drained from my face and dread settled over my body before fear grabbed my spine and shook me. It's always a rollercoaster of emotions like that when you're late with Dexon. Mainly because he will actually try to murder me for being more than five minutes late. I said we'd be really fast, and now it;s been almost forty-five minutes…

"What's wrong?"

"WE GOTTA GO LIKE NOW!"


End file.
